Paving machines include a hopper that receives paving material. The hopper includes a pair of movable side plates. The hopper opens or closes, based on a movement of the side plates. The hopper also includes a rear plate. When the hopper is in an open position, openings are formed between the rear plate and the respective side plates on either sides of the paving machine. The paving material in the hopper tends to spill out through the openings formed in the hoppers. This is generally caused due to a narrow width of the paving machine. Current practices involve overlapping ends of the hoppers; however this configuration minimizes the problem without resolving it. The spillage of the paving material is not desirable as it leads to wastage of the paving material.
U.S. Patent Publication Number 2009/0263193 describes a paver hopper flap suspension system having a number flaps attached to the hopper frame. A cable restraint line is attached to the flaps. A tensioning system is attached to the cable restraint line. The tensioning system allows the flaps to distort as the loading truck body engages the hopper entrance. Once the truck exits the hopper entrance the hopper flap suspension system causes the flaps to spring back to their original shape. The suspension system may include a torsion spring biasing the flaps into a vertical position. The tensioning system may include a tension adjuster. Using this system, the flaps are not torn and hold the asphalt in place as the loading trucks dump asphalt into the hopper.